First impressions of new things...


There are lots of new things popping up around the business lately. A few weeks ago I upgraded my camera kit to a Nikon D850 and purchased a 85 mm lens. What started out as a huge mess ended up being a very pleasant experience. I originally purchased the new camera body through Amazon. What a mess. I was so excited to have it delivered in the space of a week that when we got a notification that the card we used to purchase the camera had a hold put on it I panicked a little. When I looked at the account I realized that Amazon had charged my card four times....almost $10,000. Customer service was utterly unhelpful and even they didn't know why my card had been charged four times for one camera body. I promptly cancelled the order and went in search of reputable refurbished camera companies. There were a handful of great options but I chose KEH.com. The process was easy, smooth and overnight shipping was amazing. The camera is even better than I expected given the description and cheaper than the refurbished one I was going to purchase from Amazon. That extra room in my budget meant I could purchase the new 85mm which also came in better condition than I expected given the description. Both have worked beautifully and they have a 180 day warranty on all products. I definitely recommend them if you're looking for camera needs.


The D850 itself is a dream. Going from a D3200 to a D850 is a HUGE difference in image quality and there are a couple of features that have made a huge impact. First of all, full frame is where it's at. It extends the use of my lenses and gives me a more full scope view. The facial tracking is super helpful when working with children. I'm working with double the megapixels, and the ISO capabilities are so much more dynamic. It performs like a dream in lower light and the quality of an under exposed photo (done to preserve things like skies that would be blown in a regularly exposed photo) is extraordinary when the exposure is brought up in post.


The 85 mm is going to be something I pull out often. I've worked with a nifty 50 for a long time and really love it. It's been my go to lens for nearly all of my sessions. The D850's fX feature almost gives me two new lenses instead of just the new 85 mm. My 50 mm has a wider scope so I don't have to be as far from clients to get the same shot, plus the megapixels being so high means I can always crop the photo down by half to change the look while still maintaining excellent photo quality. The 85 mm's buttery soft bokeh is to die for. It's a 1.8 so it works super well in low light, thought I do notice a natural vignette with it that if left in post gives a really pleasing look, but the option to remove it in post makes it even more versatile.


The third thing that's new in the business is this...guys, I found this quilt....this amazing quilt......I have a real love for handmade things. It's mostly an appreciation for the time, energy, and focus it takes to make them. The story of this quilt started in late May or early June when I walked into The Warehouse in downtown Smithville. I saw this amazing quilt draped oh so casually over a table. It was listed for $175 which is way more than I would normally spend on a photo prop/backdrop. However, I knew even that price was a steal for the time it had taken to make. As I admired the quilt I mentioned the amazing handiwork and how much I'd always wanted one to the woman behind the counter. She agreed that it was beautiful, but it had been in the shop a long time and hadn't sold so today it was half off.....


My heart stopped....I had to take it home. I have made yo yo's before (the individual, circular, gathered sections of the quilt) and I know how long those take to cut, hand gather, and hand stitch together into this queen-sized beauty. I firmly believe it was worth every single penny....of the original price, much less the steal I got it for.


I immediately put this piece to work. For Sienna's session we threw the quilt over a fence for a fun pop of colorful, whimsical, goodness. We paired that with a vintage rocker for our first look and a wash tub full of milk and watermelon for the second. Sienna's mom is everything a girl mom should be with amazing bows and pearls!! This session was a dream. We used the same quilt and editing presets for their family session so that their prints for their new house would all go well together. I think it all came together nicely!


I'll be using this quilt for a lot of sessions this fall so keep an eye out!